In the art of applying adhesives for adhering carpet to a flooring or other material, a number of methods and/or systems have been developed. One method of applying carpet adhesive to a floor is to remove a supply of adhesive from a pail, such as a 5-gallon pail, and spread manually with a trowel or other device. This method of applying adhesive is labor intensive and may involve additional clean-up efforts compared to more automated methods. Furthermore, the adhesive is not in a closed container or system during the application process whereby foreign material could end up in the adhesive mixture by falling in the pail or by being inadvertently introduced by the manual spreaders.
Carpet adhesives normally come in pails, such as 5-gallon pails. One company, Roberts Consolidated Industries, Inc., of California, makes a spray adhesive system which is capable of dispensing adhesives directly from such a pail. The Roberts Spray Adhesive System utilizes a sprayer having an electric motor capable of delivering approximately 1/2 gallon of adhesive per minute. The pump utilized for that sprayer may be varied in speed to control the flow. The pump has a suction including a suction tube which may be deposited within an open bucket situated on the floor below the pump. The pump discharge goes through a length of hose and a spray gun extension in order to spray the adhesive on the flooring surface. This sprayer system does not provide the capability of preventing contaminants from falling into the open bucket of adhesives. Additionally, the open bucket, when exposed to external atmospheric conditions over a period of time, will likely cause the adhesive to dry and/or cure in the bucket prior to being discharged through the sprayer gun. This may result in skinning in the bucket or clogging of parts of this spraying system. Additionally, significant clean up may be required after using this spraying system. Furthermore, the pail is not an integral part of the spray system so that each time a user desires to move the sprayer, the pail must be picked up and the sprayer moved and the user must be careful not to drip or spill the adhesive from the suction or from the pail. In short, the Roberts System is not a sealed system, is not as easily moved from room to room as desired, and may be messy to operate and clean.
A second type of adhesive spraying system known in the art is represented in a product built by the AAT Company. The AAT adhesive sprayer utilizes an air compressor which pressurizes a tank containing adhesives which are then forced through a nozzle in a sprayer. In general, pressurized systems are less favored for two principal reasons. First, in order to maintain a pressurized system, all of the seals and fittings need to be maintained so that they are capable of having an airtight seal. Secondly, in the event of a component failure, the potential for explosive adhesive release exists. One sprayer embodiment of the AAT variety utilizes an 8-gallon tank for the pressurized container. This pressurized tank becomes a pressure pot when filled with compressed air and adhesive. A small hole is located on top of the pressure pot for filling of the pressure pot with adhesives. This small hole is believed to make the filling of the pressure pot difficult, messy, and subject to spills. Once the adhesive is added to the tank, the tank is then closed and pressurized. During the filling of the container with the adhesive, the adhesives come into contact with the atmosphere and the sprayer device is not a closed system. Debris or other foreign matter may enter into the pressure pot during the filling of the adhesives and some amount of skinning or clogging may occur. Additionally, skinning, curing and clogging may occur within the pressurized pressure pot. Furthermore, this device utilizes a sprayer similar to one which may be found in an self-service car wash station. There is no capability for this sprayer to have its tips switched according to the needs of the user.
The X-lent Equipment Company also markets sprayers which operates similar to the AAT product. One version plugs into an air compressor, while the other version has an air compressor as part of the system. These two products both utilize air in a pressure pot to force adhesive through a hose assembly and then through a sprayer having a nozzle. Essentially the compressor builds up pressure within the pressure pot and then the adhesive is blown out the bottom. This system is not a closed system because the pressure pot must be opened and exposed to the atmosphere for adhesive to be added, presenting curing and contamination issues. The pressurized air within the pressure pot is also believed to present curing and contamination issues. The system also suffers from the disadvantages of pressurized systems.
In the pressure pot systems where the adhesive is then disposed through a hose, the fluid dynamics of the pressure pot and hose are believed to result in a loss of head along the length of the hose. Accordingly, some versions of the X-lent products have maximum hose lengths of 75 feet, and some have a maximum length of 100 feet. With a 51/2 horsepower motor attached to an 11 or 13 cubic feet per minute compressor with all X-lent pressure pot types, it is believed that there will be a maximum hose length for effective use.
Another manufacturer of pressurized spraying systems is TACC International Corporation located in Rockland, Md. The TACC Systems utilize a pressurized containers, similar to a propane tank, which has adhesive therein. These aerosol spray cans and cylinders are advertised as being highly portable, requiring no outside air or power support and available in both returnable and disposable cylinders. Although the TACC adhesives spraying systems are completely closed systems as far as the user is concerned, they are not refillable or reusable by the user without first returning the containers to the manufacturer for refilling.
As previously discussed, most carpet adhesives are sold in five gallon pails. One company, the Taylor Company, has previously sold carpet adhesives in a cardboard box. However, within their cardboard box was a baggie containing the adhesive. In order to utilize the adhesive within the baggie, the baggie was pulled up and around the cardboard box and the adhesive was scooped out. In use, the adhesive was exposed to atmospheric curing and contamination. It is not believed that this system was, or is, commercially successful.
Accordingly, a need exists for a closed adhesive spraying system, sprayer and method. Furthermore, a need exists to have an adhesive container system adapted for use in an atmospherically closed environment.